In what has quickly become a central highlight of the annual Sydney Fair, the return of the Mystery Box Bench Challenge was warmly welcomed by buyers and suppliers alike.
With more than $5,000 in prize money on offer, 12 students from Design Centre Enmore (TAFE NSW) competed across three days – two qualifying stages on Saturday and Sunday, before the grand finale on Monday.
Each student was provided with a random assortment of materials to design and manufacture a piece of jewellery.
An ominous red countdown clock and steady stream of interested onlookers elevated the young jewellers under mounting pressure, and TAFE NSW head teacher of jewellery design, Gina Kind, told Jeweller that each student would depart the competition with valuable life skills.
“They’ve all been amazing. Every student has turned up, put their best foot forward, and performed non-stop,” Kind said.
“Everyone needs to learn to bounce back from challenges and to roll with the punches, and that’s precisely what these young jewellers have done. If something goes wrong – and something will always go wrong, especially when you’re creating jewellery – you need to be able to remain calm and find a solution.
“This is true in every line of work, but especially in jewellery, and I think they’ll all be better off for having participated in the competition.”
The winner of this year’s Mystery Box Bench Challenge was Brielle Prince from Meg Maskell Fine Jewellery. Max Housden (Kristopher Graydon Jewellers) finished in second place, followed by Lachlan George in third.
The emergence of the Mystery Box Bench Challenge is a well-timed victory for the Australian jewellery industry. With an increasing demand for custom-made jewellery and an ageing workforce with a shortage of apprentices, events like these are unquestionably valuable in securing the future of the trade.
The Mystery Box Bench Challenge was made possible due to the support of Chemgold, Palloys, Expertise Events, and the Gemmological Association of Australia (GAA). Kind expressed her gratitude to each of the sponsors of the event.
“We can’t thank the supporters of the competition enough. We’re incredibly grateful for all of the work that Gary [Fitz-Roy] and the team at Expertise have put into making this possible,” Kind said.
“We really appreciate the support of Chemgold, Palloys, and the GAA – so many people were quick to get involved and support the event again, and that’s outstanding.”
2025 Mystery Box Bench Challenge - Results
Day One - Qualifying Round #1 (Saturday)
Max Housden [Finalist]
Lachlan George [Finalist]
Matthias Simon [Finalist]
Marieon Cunningham
Shannon Elliott
Gong Zhang
Day Two - Qualifying Round #2 (Sunday)
Brielle Prince [Finalist]
Sam Black [Finalist]
Olena Kovalevska [Finalist]
Hannah Saxton
Frankie Yacoubian
Jaimin Hamer
Day Three - Grand Final (Monday)
Brielle Prince [Winner]
Max Housden [Second]
Lachlan George [Third]
Sam Black
Matthias Simon
Olena Kovalevska
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